Change
by toxiclovedrops
Summary: What if Marshall Lee was the one who found Fionna first instead of Cake's parents? How would the discovery of this mere girl affect the Vampire Teen's life?
1. Chapter 01

**summary:** What if Marshall Lee was the one who found Fionna instead of Cake's parents? How would the discovery of this mere girl affect the Vampire Teen's life?

special thanks to my friend who volunteered to re-read & clean up this chapter. I love you! And also, big thanks to Tasha (aka thestinkyfoot) who was also my beta! Sorry for posting this a tad bit early, I just couldn't contain myself from doing this /shoots self

_Not very original yes but hey, it sounds interesting to write. So I figured "Why the heck not?". Enjoy reading everybody!_

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**CHAPTER 01**

Marshall Lee isn't just a mere immortal. He is in fact, a vampire. But he ain't just no ordinary vampire, Marshall Lee is the Vampire _King_. How you ask? Well, he was given the title over his victorious battle against the previous one... whose name nobody can't quite seem to recall. Nor do they want to.

Sure enough Marshall was given a nice throne to sit on and a fancy golden crown that was begging to be worn after his battle. But he rejected the offering with a wave, things like that would cramp up his _style_. The main reason behind his fight against the King was simple, he was only interested in the title and nothing more.

Marshall Lee left the joint immediately before his persistent subjects could hog tie him down. They seriously expect him to wear that horrid, musty King get up? Hell no.

In all honesty, there was nothing much for him to do there. The Vampire community has lived long before the great Mushroom war. So with that, Marshall believed that the Vampire Folks were capable enough to take care of themselves.

After he left the Kingdom, Marshall has spent his days roaming around the globe, in search for some adventure here and there. Many have questioned their new King's actions, but they didn't stop him. Why? Because they despised the boy. They were outraged to have received such an immature, undignified, and above all, womanizing teenager as their King.

But really, they should know better than to judge the boy so quickly.

Marshall Lee stumbled into many fights during his travels, some by accident, while others through sheer entertainment. Those who were miraculously lucky enough to have survived a brawl from the boy would spread word to their companions and fellow monsters of his wrath. Urging them to not engage at the small but ironically powerful teen.

When the vampire king isn't busy battling monsters, or playing hooky with the ladies, Marshall Lee would leave his signature trademarks everywhere he went. It's to serve as a reminder that he has already visited the place. But the "M" markings have unintentionally made Marshall Lee's name well known. Soon enough, many quiver in fear at the mere mentioning of the boy's name... With that, the Vampire community hasn't experienced any trouble from the other kingdoms who threatened them many times during their previous King's reign. To which they have Marshall Lee to thank.

Right now, Marshall is settling in the Land of Aaa, that was oddly filled with many Candy People.

As the origin of the Great Mushroom war, he didn't expect to see a bunch of sugary coated, and dare he say, _cute_ little Candy creatures to inhabit here. Soon enough, Marshall Lee discovered the location of the Candy Kingdom along with the royal prince in charge of it all. What was his name again? Prince something, something… meh, the vampire king was never good at remembering names.

He pushed the thought aside and focused himself on the objective_._

The objective being Aaa's Dark Forest. It was said to be littered with unknown monsters that were created during the era of the historic war that ended mankind. The chemical gases and nuclear explosions from the war has rendered the forest to its grim state, thus the name of the forest being the "Dark Forest". The creatures who were exposed to such things underwent a transformation that altered both their physical appearance and performance ten folds.

Just thinking about it fueled Marshall Lee's curiosity to hyper drive, the teenager was itching with excitement and blood lust. He couldn't wait to engage himself in yet another adrenaline pumping fight. The problem was, he had no idea where the damn forest was!

Luckily, the vampire teen overheard something of interest from a bunch of frightened marshmallow kiddies. He listened attentively from the tree tops, apparently they've managed to escape the clutches of a three headed Cyclops. To which Marshall Lee assumed resided from the Dark Forest. I mean, where else could you find a three headed cyclops?

The vampire descended from the tree tops and asked for the location of the beast. Frightened at his sudden appearance, the kids ran away screaming at the top of their lungs, leaving the teen unanswered.

Marshall chucked his Axe-bass over his shoulder and let out an irritated sigh. He floated onwards from the general direction that the kids were walking opposite from earlier, hoping that he would find the Dark Forest... and he did.

Upon discovery, he didn't waste time hunting down the Cyclops beast. But despite his efforts, he couldn't find what he was looking for. How could something that _big_ scurry off so quickly without a trace? But he did however stumbled into a pack of rabid wolves, to which the teen considered the discovery to be better than nothing.

And as expected, Marshall walked out of the Dark Forest as the victor, with minor scratches of course. But the small marks vanished in a matter of minutes, due to Marshall's remarkable healing abilities. Ah yes, it was one of the many perks of being a vampire that Marshall Lee loved. Instant medical care without all that yucky grape flavored medicine and unwanted visits to the doctor's office.

However, all that brawling and self recovery drained away most of his demonic energy. Which reduced him from his usual floating. He ventured around the new luscious green territory, in search for anything edible. He stopped himself short when his eyes took notice of something red above him. An apple dangled from the branch, it swayed in response to the gentle breeze. Through the vampire's eyes, the little treat was just begging to be devoured.

Marshall Lee eagerly reached for the fruit and plucked it from the tree's branch. He sunk his extracted fangs through the fruit's delicate skin with a loud 'crunch', suckling noises follow soon after as he began his feast. Marshall wasn't normally this noisy when it came to eating, but he was so damn hungry to the point where he just didn't give a hoot.

Within seconds, the crimson color of the apple was sucked dry. The teen retracted his fangs from the fruit and sighed with pure satisfaction. The taste of the treat was delightful, never had he ever tasted anything so refreshing and sweet. The vampire king assumed that the vegetation here in Aaa was abnormally sugary due to the existence of the Candy Kingdom.

The rumble of his stomach interrupted his thoughts, pleading him to eat more. The vampire happily complied, he reached for another shiny apple, and another... until finally he had enough.

After the Vampire had his fill, with a flick of his wrist, the apple was tossed over his shoulder. The thing disappeared in the nearby bushes behind him. The rustle of the leaves didn't bring much attention to the teen, but the sound of a mewl got him tense.

Marshall instinctively whipped out his axe base and took on a ready stance. The teen assumed that one of the wolves that he battled earlier had followed him, but the vampire distinctively remembered that none of the savaged beasts survived from the fight. He clenched onto his instrument-weapon tightly, and eyed at the bush with great hostility.

"Come on then, show yourself." He said venomously through gritted teeth.

The shrub ruffled once more in response. With that, Marshall raised his axe high above his head and held it there. Patiently waiting for the right moment to strike down on his soon to be dead attacker. And then something unexpected happened.

The source of the mewling stumbled out from the bushes, waving its tubby limbs in a strange manner. Marshall got a glimpse of the supposed attacker's face, his anger receded instantly at the sight of the tears that were streaming down its face. The display simply startled the vampire king. Sure he was accustomed to seeing the usual murderous intent in his attacker's eyes, with their claws and fangs bared out and everything. But not _this_.

His momentary stupor ended when the little animal tripped over a small rock. The poor thing fell face flat on the ground, its little tooshie wiggled slightly at the small impact.

The teen stood there, planted at the spot. His expression blank as the strange creature wearily raised its face into full view.

Blue round, doe like eyes met with his dark, emotionless ones. Before he knew it, another mewl escaped from the little one's quivering lips. Before Marshall's vampire senses could forewarn him, an ear rupturing cry rippled through the forest.

The birds took flight at the distressed sound, leaving the vampire king alone with the sobbing, butt-naked baby.

_to be continued..._

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**author's note: **

How was it? Good ja? Tell me what you think about this intro, I know it's a bit lengthy. But the real fun will kick off on the next chapter, I assure you!

Feel free to send me a suggestion on what the next chapter should be. Because I'm kinda stumped :/


	2. Chapter 02

First of all, I apologize for the long wait everyone. I've been pretty busy lately, moved out from Japan and starting college. I've survived my first 3 weeks of here in Philippines, hopefully I can pull myself together until the Prelims/Graduation.

And also, thank you all for your kind words and support. I took my time off from studying and finished up the second chapter for you guys! Consider it as both and apology and thank you gift? Ahaha if that even makes sense. Enjoy everyone!

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**CHAPTER 02**

For every passing second, the wails grew louder and louder, which made the boy wince at the high-pitched sound. The sobs became agonizingly painful for even the Vampire King to bear, his poor sensitive bat ears couldn't take it anymore. Marshall Lee sheathed his axe-bass behind him as he made his way towards the infant. The Vampire towered over the little creature, with displeasure written all over his face. The sniffles and hiccups came to a halt when the baby was lifted off the luscious green ground.

The Child was brought up until the two were face to face with one another.

Marshall Lee eyed the baby and let out an irritated sigh, "Ya know. For a little runt, you sure know how to make a racket."

A small confused mewl was all that could be said from the child as a response, followed with a slight tilt of the head. The boy's eyes caught something, two noticeable bumps were found on the infant's forehead, to which he assumed was caused by both the fall and his careless apple tossing.

Marshall mentally cursed himself for unintentionally inflicting harm on the baby. He wanted to apologize to the little one, but such an act would be pointless considering that the baby can't even understand a word he says, or anything for that matter. He would gladly heal the small injuries, really he would. But his demonic powers haven't quite recharged to its fullest yet. That _and_ he is most certain that using dark magic on the small child is a big no no.

Out of nowhere, the baby's sausage like arms reached out towards him. The Vampire King jolted when he felt the infant's small hands honk his nose.

"H-hey!" Marshall shook his head free from the baby's grasp, he instinctively wiped his nostrils against his shoulder in hopes of getting rid of that mysterious odor. He wiggled his nose at the slight burning sensation from the vigorous rubbing, he eyed the child with much disdain, "That. was. uncalled for."

His death glare would've made any monster cower in fear, but it had absolutely no effect on the child. A bubbly giggle escaped its lips at the boy's obscure facial expression, whereas the Vampire King rolled his eyes and grunted in irritation.

Nonetheless, the teenager resumed to his examination. As his eyes scanned downward, the gender of the child was quickly executed, " A girl." The teen monotonously stated. But there was something strange about this infant, this _girl_.

Marshall brought the top of the baby's head closer to him and inhaled her scent. The small golden locks of her hair rose and wavered under his nostrils. The gentle touch of the girl's strands tickled the Vampire King's nose, which made him twitch in both response to the tickling sensation and faint recognition.

"Human."

No wonder the scent that radiated off her squishy flesh was so familiar to him.

He found a human. A HUMAN! It has been centuries since the great Mushroom War. How is it that this girl survived it? Were there more of her? Old? Young? A whole clan of them perhaps? No, that can't be. Marshall was there, he witnessed it all. He watched the human race fall to the ground, back when he was just a newborn Vampire. Or so he thought.

Marshall Lee looked beyond the shrub and saw nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. He arched an eyebrow in confusion and eyed back at the infant, "Where the heck did you come from?"

Marshall received nothing but a giggle and another honk on the nose. The boy glared menacingly at the girl, "Okay, you have _got_ to stop doing that."

From a distance, a snap of a twig branch received attention from the boy's ears. In that slight moment, he turned his head over at where the sound originated. His senses on full alert for any sudden movement and sound. A thought of an intruder, or possibly a pursuer, entered his mind (he made lots of enemies during his travels).

He could feel his powers returning to him, along with his heightened bat-like senses. The boy's hands began to move in response to his animalistic impulse. He cradled the infant close to him with his arm, while his free hand went to retrieve his trusty weapon that hung innocently from his back. Marshall's fingers grasped the neck of the instrument firmly, he stood in place and waited.

Thoughts rushed through his head, Marshall has spent the first few seconds calculating the best way on exterminating the intruder. But this time, it wasn't just to satisfy his needs of sadistic violence. Oh no, instead it was for the sake of the baby's safety, believe it or not. His discovery was beyond extraordinary, and he's not willing to let something like that disappear from his hands just now.

Seconds ticked by, now minutes. The boy's suspicion grew weary. Marshall's muscles began to relax at the absence of danger, the grip on his weapon loosened.

"Hm, guess it was a raccoon or something."

The teenager felt the small human in his arm squirm, which brought his attention back on her. He could read the discomfort on the infant's face, which brought up the question as to what was bothering the little thing. Marshall carried the baby with both hands once again, elevating her up to his eye level just so that he could better examine any damages that he somehow overlooked besides the two small bumps on her forehead. But doing so made the infant wriggle even more, which got the Vampire King irritated rather than concerned.

"Stop fidgeting will ya? I'm trying to see what's wrong with you."

The little girl didn't stop her squirming, Marshall Lee was this close to throwing in the towel, that is until he heard something dripping down on the forest grass. A curse was uttered when the vampire teen quickly outstretched his arms just so that his shoes could avoid getting drenched by the baby's piss. He did so with some success, only the tips of his converse shoes were soaked. The teen didn't fight the grunt from escaping his lips.

"Well that's just freaking _great_."

The boy looked at the infant's face which showed relief and content, where his held annoyance and displeasure.

He was reconsidering on taking in the girl, because one. She's freaking Human! Probably the only human there is out there. And Marshall Lee is a fine collector of rare things. And this human baby pretty much fits under that description. That and he never tasted human blood before.

But it was obvious to him that the infant is far too fragile and weak to even be kept under his care. Considering that Marshall has been living his undead life chasing danger. The baby would probably live for up to 2 months tops. That and the boy wasn't very fond when it comes to taking in animals who aren't exactly potty trained. Taking care of himself and his house was enough for the boy to handle.

"Alright, that's it."

The vampire king settled the baby on the ground, far from where she peed on. After that, he continued on with his walking. The baby followed suite on all fours, not wanting to be left alone in the woods. Marshall Lee could hear the baby whimper again, pleading the boy to slow down.

Marshall simply smirked at her and spoke in a teasing tone, "C'mon now. Whimpering don't work on me kid, so quit it."

He quickened his pace and looked forward at his general direction. He could hear the child's arms and legs pick up, as well as the volume of her mewls. The little crawler stumbled over a tree branch and a couple of pebbles, whereas the vampire measly hovered over them with ease. After the fifth stumble, the girl plumped on the ground and didn't bother to get up.

Marshall Lee stopped to look over his shoulder, her body laid there motionless, her face concealed by the tall grass. The vampire floated his way over to the body, his downcast eyes held despondent over the baby's loss of will power.

Weak. Helpless. Fragile.

Those were the words that entered the boy's mind.

"Hey squirt, up and at em."

Nothing, not even a flinch.

Before the boy even considered on flying off, he felt something tug on the hem of his pants. Marshall felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards.

"Well hot damn." He was impressed, _very_ impressed. The girl almost had him fooled. Who knew that the little squirt had it in her? Marshall couldn't help but look down at the girl, he barely noticed the smile on her dirty plumped face. For a small, weak infant, she sure got spunk. That the boy could not deny.

Marshall Lee let out a cackled laugh, "Alright, alright. You got me good there."

He gently planted his feet on the ground and offered her his hand, "C'mon, the sun's about to come out soon." The baby eagerly took hold of his offering hand. Unbeknownst to her of how many lives the boy has stolen with the use of them.

She nearly collapsed against the boy's calloused hand, Marshall could feel the girl's body shivering against his palm. He shed off his plaid patterned polo, leaving him only with his plain white T-shirt. He then wrapped the naked baby with his clothing before he could cradle her in his arms once again. She nestled herself closer to the boy's body and began sucking on her tubby thumb. The boy stared at her sleeping face amusingly.

Thanks to the showing of the girl's effort, the boy came to a decision. He will look after her, a choice that he didn't put much thought on and how it would affect him. All that consumed his mind was how much he admired the little fire in her, a fire that has reminded him much of himself.

But there was something else in the girl that intrigued Marshall Lee, something that he couldn't quite place.

The color of the night sky started to melt, from a distance he could see the sun barely peeking out. The vampire king took his cue and left the forest without a trace.

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yup... that's pretty much it.

I promise the next chapter will be far more interesting, I swear on it! But other than that, what are your thoughts about Marshall Lee so far? Do you by any chance know who/what was peeking at them from behind the bushes?

Post a review with your thoughts :) the more the better~


	3. Chapter 03

Chapter three is finally up! School got canceled, I've spent most of my time typing up the story. Thank you all for your reviews/comments. They really help out a lot, you're all very encouraging. Wouldn't have update without your support and motivation. Hope you all enjoy! If you see any mistakes or anything funky, please don't hesitate to tell me.

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**CHAPTER 03**

Marshall Lee made it to his mobile home, just in time before the sun's rays could reach him. His little abode was well hidden within a cave, sure the environment may be cramped and a little bit musty for his taste, but it was home. Many wouldn't expect a King to crash in such a place, making it a perfect hiding spot from both his crazed ex-girlfriends and unwanted pursuers.

The boy bent down and reached under the doormat with his free hand. His fingers searched blindly for the key, by the time he found it, the boy eagerly opened the door and made his way inside. Upon entering, he was greeted by a faint purr, Marshall smirked at the little zombie feline below him.

"Hey Schwabelle, seems that we have ourselves a new roomie."

The cat merely stared at the girl that was in her master's arms, curiosity took hold of the cat as she approached closer to Marshall. Seeing this, the boy shook his head and hovered over the pet

"Nu-uh girl, you can't meet her just yet."

The boy was unsure of when he last fed his pet. Marshall questioned his cat's taste in food... Considering that his pet could eat almost anything that's dead or alive, then there's a probability that Schwabelle might give in to her curious nature and devour the infant. So with that, he would have to postpone introductions between the two for the moment. Better to be safe than sorry.

The cat, knowing her master too well didn't bother to venture any further. So instead, the fur ball headed over to the couch and made herself comfortable on one of the cushion. Eagerly waiting for Marshall's return, hopefully with a fresh bowl of meat bits and some fish at hand.

Marshall maneuvered his way to his bed room in the darkness casually, with a still resting baby cradled in his arms. The teenager couldn't help but notice how awful the baby smelt, he reminded himself to give the girl a good scrub by the time she wakes up from her sleep…

Sleep, something that the boy has separated from many years ago. Try as Marshall may, he can't really fall into _deep_ unconsciousness like how others do. Nor does he want to. But there is a good reason as to why that is.

Dreaming brings out memories, many _unwanted_ memories. The boy has lived a long, undead life. Throughout his past, Marshall Lee has witnessed many things that are unpleasant for him to even withstand. He received numerous mental scars that he could barely count. To the boy, that is something he would much greatly like to avoid.

So on most days, he would spend his time writing up lyrics and strumming away on his axe bass to keep him occupied while confined in dark solitude. On some occasions, he would even rewatch some classical movies from his VHS tape stash with Schwabelle. But he got the feeling that today will be different.

Marshall pulled out a drawer from his dresser to the point where he best saw fit to be stable. The boy rearranged his clothes until it resembled a bird's nest before laying the infant down on top of it. With that done, he hovered out of his room but halted when his acute nose caught whiff of an oddly familiar stench. He let out a grunt, "Of course." Marshall kicked off his converse, and carried it with him to the kitchen sink.

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While Marshall was busy fixing himself some grub, Schwabelle suddenly barged into the kitchen and started pawing at his feet, meowing obnoxiously loud. The creature's actions alone got Marshall Lee tense and overall concerned. Schwabelle never meows that loud, hell she rarely meows. Is she trying to tell him something. If so, then what? That's when it hit him.

"Crap." He abandoned his sandwich, the contents fell down on the kitchen tiled floor. Marshall Lee quickly transported himself to his room, his cabinet drawer empty… The baby was nowhere to be seen.

Marshall has spent about half an hour or so looking for the little rascal nonstop. Sure he could've sniffed her out, but her stench was heavily masked by _his_ own smell since she slept in _his_ clothes. So he relied heavily on his eyes with the help of his bedroom lights. His room is now messy… well messier, what with all his clothes and belongings scattered about on his carpeted floor. Marshall didn't find the girl until he heard a grumbling sound under his bed.

He swooped down to check under his mattress, the girl was caught gnawing on the boy's precious baseball cap. He took it as a sign that the little rascal was hungry. Very hungry. He dragged the baby out and brought her to the kitchen with some struggle. He wasn't able to rescue his hat, that was already half way eaten.

Marshall is beyond frustrated with the little one. Everything that he presented to her, she refused to take a nibble. Heck, not even a whiff of the given delicacies that his kitchen had to offer. It took him a lot of restraint to maintain his mentality and composure.

He eventually found a food that received the infant's approval, strawberries. The vampire noticed that he was running low of the said fruit and planned on venturing out later to gather more, just so that he could avoid getting into another troublesome situation with her. Marshall also offered her a cup of bug milk juice to wash down the fruit, to which the girl happily indulged herself in. But she ended up spilling herself with the drink due to her unsteady grip of the plastic cup.

The boy brought the baby with him to the bathroom to give her a bath. He prepared the water on the sink, since the girl was far too small for the bathtub. He made sure that the water's temperature was well mixed with cold and hot water considering that he had no sense of touch at all. The girl fussed and kicked when the vampire settled her down on the water. He ended up getting his whole upper body drenched during the process of cleaning the troublesome child.

After drying the infant up with his bath towel, the boy couldn't find any clothes small enough for the girl to wear. So he improvised by using one of his clean handkerchiefs to cover her naked, clad butt. But of course the baby fought back and failed to cooperate with the boy by flailing her limbs in defiance. Never had he felt the need to actually strangle the baby, he was tempted but he had restraint.

Marshall rubbed his temples with much vigor. He was having a major migraine that his powers can't inexplicably seem to heal. The vampire would never admit it, but taking care of a human was far harder than he thought, and it's only been one day!

He was relieved to see her sleeping on his couch. With that, Marshall was given the chance to catch a breather. The vampire teen helped himself with some cherry soda and sat down on the floor, he stretched his neck from side to side, making it crack. The boy eased himself against the front of the couch, and happily drank his soda in huge gulps.

He felt the presence of his feline companion nudging him at his arm. Marshall gave the cat an exasperated sigh to express his discontent as he reached over to pat her on the head.

"Taking care of this little runt is harder than it looks Schwabelle." He points at the sleeping girl with his chin. The cat, noticing the distress in his voice leaned closer against his touch in comfort. At this he chuckled.

"I'm glad you weren't as stubborn as the squirt. At least you know how to behave." Marshall recalled when he first met Schwabelle, he found her while he was chilling out in the cemetery a couple of weeks ago. The boy mistook her as a ghost, until he saw her head roll off from her shoulders. He had never met a real zombie before, so of course he took her in as his pet in a heartbeat. Having her as company during the day was enjoyable. Yes, the boy does get lonely at times, living in solitude has that effect on most people. So over time, Marshall grew very attached to the feline.

Taking care of the undead cat held little effort. All he had to do was feed her meat, which he could easily provide from within the small cave. That and she understood Marshall Lee perfectly well, at a level where they both can communicate with each other through small gestures. Which Marshall was very pleased about. If only the infant's cooperation skills are as smooth as Schwabelle's…

The vampire brushed his scalp in utter frustration with his hands and slumped even further against the couch. He tensed when he heard the girl stir in her sleep, Marshall didn't want the girl up and awake just yet. He's not prepared to face another hair jerking situation. Marshall sat stock still and waited until he could see the girl's body lose tension. He let out a sigh or pure relief, thank Glob.

The corners of his lips twitched upwards, the baby was unknowingly suckling on her thumb again. From the boy's point of view, he found it amusing, and somewhat adorable in a way. Hard to believe that this small girl can be a huge pain the arse. Marshall was satisfied to see that the bumps on her forehead are long gone. But that feeling fleeted when he noticed that the bruises were replaced by two large peculiar purple blotches. His hands tentively reached out to the small one's head, his finger tips grazed one of the marks. The baby flinched and let out a small cry, as if in pain.

The boy recoiled his hand, his whole body relaxed as the girl returned to her tranquil state. There was so many things that he has yet to understand about the human girl. The way she acts and behaves… they were all too foreign to the vampire. It was obvious that the boy holds very few knowledge about humans, even though he was one of them once before during his youth. Oh the irony, he chuckled quietly at the sad fact.

Schwabelle loomed over the sleeping girl, sniffing, analyzing, and mentally registering her scent. It didn't took the cat too long to nuzzle its nose against the baby's plush cheeks. The girl's eyelids fluttered open, her whole body regaining conscious. Marshall Lee inwardly cursed at his pet for waking the infant up.

But his thoughts of revenge on his cat stopped when he heard a bubbly giggle erupt out of nowhere. Marshall looked at the two with disbelief. The baby was seen holding the cat in an embrace, whereas Schwabelle returns the girl's affection with a warm purr. The vampire king's jaw hung low in awe, the two girls bonded instantaneously without even an exchange of words. Maybe it's a girl thing? Marshall shrugged it off, he was relieved to see that they got along easily, despite the huge dead and non dead-gap difference.

If only such a thing could've went as effortlessly between him and the girl, minus the snuggling and purring of course. But other than that, he was thrilled to have somebody else to look after the troublesome child. Because he has plans, **big** plans for tonight involving a certain three headed cyclops…

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It has been a few days since the girl moved in with him. It was hell, but he managed to feel accustomed with the girl and her rowdy behavior. Not only that, he even learned a little bit more about the peculiar human.

He found that she was very fond of the game hide and seek. Marshall noted that the girl is an exceptional climber, one time he found her in one of his kitchen cabinets, hiding behind a cereal box of coco flakes.

Her teeth is starting to grow out, much to his surprise and displeasure when the girl nearly bit off his thumb while he was feeding her. Everything that her tubby little palms can grab on has been marked by her little chompers. Which Marshall Lee really disliked, so he was sure to keep any valuables, especially his base guitar out of her reach.

She poops… a lot. Marshall Lee never smelt anything so fowl in his life! When it came to changing her diaper, the boy was sure to use his trusty clothes pin to protect his sensitive nostrils from the stench and a pair of rubber gloves that he rarely uses. Heck he didn't even knew he had such a thing, but he was glad to have stumbled upon it during one of their hide and seek games.

That _and _he concluded that the baby is in fact a total klutz. Every day, he would find the girl with at least one or two bruises on her body. Particularly her head. The little squirt has a tendency to do stupid stuff when Marshall is out of sight, busy tending to other things. Afraid that the girl might hurt herself into a coma, he went through the trouble on getting her a bunny hat that he personally hunted and skinned himself. It will help protect her scalp from any further damage, plus the girl resembled the rabbit perfectly. She is tiny and fragile sure, but still very energetic despite her small frame.

Feeding the baby became a breeze to him, Marshall had stocked up a bountiful amount of strawberries for both the girl and himself. But the aftermath of the girl's feeding always resulted into one big mess. Oh, and Marshall added that she was also a messy eater.

So technically after every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there was bath time.

Marshall has spent most days taking care of the kid. At night however, she requires very little attention. Because of that, he would always leave the infant under Schwabelle's care whenever he heads out to do what he normally does. Brawl and feed… and maybe pick up a chick or two on the way when he feels like it.

This continued on until the boy first heard the girl's earth shattering cry echo the halls of his small home. He was just a step away from exiting his home, the boy instantly changed his course of direction and transported himself to his bed room in a nanosecond. He flipped on the light switch. There on his bed, the babywas completely covered under his oversized blanket. He could see the covers shifting with the girl's movement, overpowering her, drowning her even. The teenager hastily tossed the sheet aside. Marshall's eyes immediately took in the sight of a weeping girl, her eyes were shut yet tears continue to stream down her cheeks, soaking his pillows and bed sheet.

He knew right then and there what she was experiencing. She was having a nightmare. Adrenaline rushed through him at the sight of the baby's dismay. He has to wake her up, fast.

He gently shook her arm and spoke to her with hushed words.

"Squirt, wake up. C'mon wake up."

The girl came alive with a jolt, upon seeing the boy she instantly clutched at his sleeve and buried her face into the fabric of his sweater. She looked completely terrified. Marshall gulped, what is he supposed to do now? He hesitantly brought his hand to the top of the girl's head and began the pet her. This sort of gesture was something that Marshall's mother would do to him whenever he had a bad dream. He tried his best to mimic her gentle strokes, apparently it's working judging by the way the human's body relaxed.

He continued on with his petting and uttered more words to the girl. In hopes that doing so would calm her nerves even further.

Like magic, the baby's cries reduced to silence at both his soothing voice and comforting touch. Sleep overtook her once more, the little human was out in just a matter of seconds. Her body lay limp against his cold, dead hands.

Schwabelle came in soon after and eyed at both him and the girl with alarm. She stood far away, not wanting to interrupt the two and watched the scene with observant eyes.

He laid the girl down to rest, her grip on him still firm. It was as if he was her life vest, to help keep her afloat from sinking back into her dark dream. Marshall gazed worriedly at the girl, his eyes grew darker as if he were seeing himself lying on the bed instead of her. He could hear the words resurface from the back of his mind.

Weak. Helpless. _Fragile_.

He gently pulled himself free from the baby's grasp, he floated back to the door and left without bothering to turn off the light. He let out a shaky groan while his hand went up to comb his messy black locks. Taking care of a human can be so troublesome...

* * *

See, I promised that the chapter would be longer didn't I? Ahaha What do you think so far? Did you find anything interesting? Your thoughts of Schwabelle and Marshall?

What do you think the next chapter should be about? ;)


	4. Chapter 04

Thank you everyone for the feedback, I have taken many of it into consideration. I can't seem to find any reason to quit on this story! My gosh, I have so much in store in the future and I just can't wait to share it with you all. But for now, I think it's best to take this story one chapter at a time. Without any further ado, I present to you all chapter 4! Happy reading everyone!

* * *

**CHAPTER 04**

Marshall mentally checked all the possible hiding spots that the girl could've gone to. He has reached the end of the list, all that was left now was the living room. So she _has_ to be there. The teenager entered the open spaced room and scanned the area with his dark, observant eyes.

"Alright squirt, I know you're here." There was no response, Marshall felt the edge of his eyebrow twitch. The vampire teen hissed in irritation through his gritted teeth as he effortlessly settled himself down on the ground with crossed arms.

Apparently the girl managed to get her hands on a jar of jelly that Marshall was going to use on his sandwich. It amazed him on how cunning the little one can be. The girl was able to swipe something of his without any detection, but hell it's starting to annoy the living crap out of him.

Never had he ever met anyone who had this uncontrollable habit of swiping things that are later to be found either misplaced or eaten. It sounds a bit silly and immature of him to be making such a fuss over a stolen jar of strawberry jelly, but _damn_ he had enough of his stuff being hindered and taken by the child already. It's quite sad really… despite being a thousand year old Vampire, he has yet to grow out his childish fettle. Or perhaps it's just the hunger making him act this way.

A sweet scent of strawberries entered his nostrils, he followed the trail to the source and found the culprit herself behind the couch. She was far too busy enjoying her meal to notice the boy looming over her, "Ahem."

Upon hearing his voice, the girl swirled her head over her shoulder to find the vampire boy looking down at her with a scrunched up expression. The first thing that Marshall noticed was that the girl's cheeks and palms were completely coated with the said jelly. His eyes then took notice of the jar that was nestled on the girl's tubby lap… to his disappointment, it was empty.

Marshall deepened his disapproving frown and eyed at her with much disdain. He wanted to yell at the girl from robbing him of his meal, or in this case, the missing component to completing his ideal snack. But before he could let all hell break loose, his mind came to a halt at the sight of her crooked smile, which revealed her two front teeth and a few chunks of the strawberry jelly that were stuck in-between them.

The sight of it was all but comical, Marshall brought his fist up close to his lips and failed to muffle his laughter. All rage was forgotten on the girl in an instant. It took him a while until he finally regained his composure and ability to finally get his laughter to a stop. He looked down at the girl once again, who was seen staring back at the pale vampire with a questioning look as if she did nothing particularly wrong.

Marshall all but shook his head and stooped down to the girl. "C'mere squirt." The girl, without any sign of hesitation, crawled her way to his open palms that she very much grew accustomed to. And in one smooth motion, she was lifted up in the air by the boy.

He eyed the girl's messy appearance and smirked, "You really can't get enough of those strawberries huh?" The child laughed and wiggled her arms forward to touch his face. Upon seeing this, the boy reacted quickly by extending his arms to avoid the baby's messy palms, which were just barely a centimeter away from touching his face. But miraculously, the girl managed to somehow get a small bit of jelly on his cheek. With a sigh, Marshall licked the substance off with his elongated, lizard like tongue.

The vampire teen quickly found himself being awfully stared at by the girl, fascination and wonder sparkling in her bright blue eyes. Marshall got the feeling that the little one was intrigued by his reptilian tongue when he saw her making grabby hand motions. He couldn't help but smirk at her attempt.

"As if I'll let you touch my tongue with those grimy hands of yours." Marshall teased as he retracted his tongue back into his mouth. The look of the girl's pouty face got the boy laughing the second time. After that, the vampire teen carried the girl with him to the bathroom, determined to clean off the remanence of the jam off her face and hands, leaving the forgotten empty jar behind.

* * *

Marshall positioned himself in the air with his trusty Axe Base at hand. The vampire teen's fingers strummed the metallic strings of his instrument casually, vibrant sounds emitted from the large black box below him. This continued over and over until the boy was finally struck with inspiration.

He arched his back and repositioned his instrument on his lap to where he best felt comfortable with. Before his calloused fingers met the strings, a hint of something white caught the immortal's attention. He eyed at the crawling creature suspiciously while still being suspended in the air and unnoticed.

It didn't took Marshall long to identify that the one below him was the human girl. He continued to observe her silently, the boy took note that she was looking around questioningly as if in search for something. Or perhaps someone? Something sinister and playful entered the boy's head, he couldn't help but smile at how wickedly brilliant his mind is.

Marshall floated his way past the little one, and with caution he flipped himself over, making his hair dangle limply in the air. He then elevated himself downward with his eyes fixated at the back of the baby. He stopped himself until his hair barely touched carpeted floor and blew faintly at the back of the girl's neck. By the time she turned her head, she found herself face to face with a sickly looking bug eyed creature with overly sized chompers… But the first thing to have escaped her mouth wasn't what Marshall Lee anticipated. Instead of a shriek, he received a giggle and a good honk on his morphed canine nose.

"Hmph, you're no fun." The boy grunted as his features gradually morphed back to his normal self. He flipped himself to an upright position and crossed his legs before he settled himself down on the floor.

"So what brings you here in the middle of the night squirt? You know it's already past your bed time." The baby simply stared back at him with a blank look, she tilted her head sideways, making the bunny ears flop and slant downward. Of course she couldn't respond to him or even understand a word he says. He knew this very well from when they first met each other. But he couldn't help it, Marshall had the tendency to talk because it was therapeutic to the teen.

Long before the girl was brought to his home, Marshall lived in a silent environment. The silence was nerve wracking to the point where it nearly drove the poor teen insane. So at times when he's not having his usual jam sessions or mumbling out lyrics, he would always speak from whatever popped up from his mind to no one in particular. Some of the things that he said were just comments on minor stuff such as the weather or how dusty his room is, and other pointless things. So if someone were to pop in and see this boy talking to nothing, they would think that he had gone loony. Sure he had Schwabelle and all but she seems to disappear from his sight every now and then.

"What's the matter? Can't sleep?"

The girl's lips twitched and her eyes pointed downwards, the vampire took that as a "yes". He silently wondered if his strumming awakened her from her sleep, if so then he had just to medicine to put the girl back to bed. Marshall set his instrument carefully to the side and reached on over to the girl.

"Cmere." He plucked her up and settled her down onto his lap.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean to wake ya." He ruffled the top of her head, making her hair a mess under the bunny hat. The girl leaned against his hand, the vampire felt the corner's of his lips twitch upward at the noticing how the little one's action resembled much like Schwabelle's whenever he petted her.

"Heh, maybe I should've skinned you a cat hat instead hm?"

The boy brought his hand back and looked down at the child, who in turn looked at him quizzically. He smirked, "Hey, how bout I sing you a lullaby? That always helped me whenever I have troubles sleeping."

Marshall looked troubled and scrunched his brows together, "My mother would always be the one to sing that lullaby to me…"

His eyes grew darker upon remembering his mother. How long has it been since she disappeared? A rush of unwanted visions entered his mind and began to engulf Marshall. His surroundings became blurry, he couldn't move, not even flinch. Marshall had lost all control of his body, that is until he felt something tug onto his grey shirt.

He flinched and the sudden tug and saw the worry in the baby's eyes. He regained his composure in a matter of seconds and shrugged the feeling off like dust.

"Anyways, it's been a while since I've heard it. So the lyrics might not be the same, but at least I know the tune. Just give me a sec to think up the lines." And with that, he closed his eyes and mentally constructed the lyrics. Satisfied at the completion of his composition, the boy inhaled through his nostrils and began to sing.

Now Marshall Lee was known for many things, but the number one thing that he's most known for (besides being a lady's man and a rebellious Vampire King) was that he was a gifted singer. He could bring people to their knees and weep for more, reducing them to the point of submission. Even the tiniest mutter could seduce women to such sinful acts and ecstasy. His voice had the power to ignite and calm the souls of many. Others were unsure if such a thing were to be seen as a gift or a deadly weapon.

But as of now, his words were like honey. Sweet and calming to the ears. His voice gently luring her back into blissful slumber. Her grip on his shirt loosened as his lullaby almost came to an end. By the time he finished his verse, the girl was out like a flame.

* * *

Marshall has been trying to teach the girl speech, so far the girl hasn't made any progress whatsoever. The boy thought that by educating the infant the basics of just simply saying a few words would help him know when she was hungry or tired instead of just bawling her eyes out.

"Repeat after me, I. Am. Hungry."

The infant's mouth moved, but all that came out where just incoherent words. Marshall sighed, after his twentieth attempt to get the girl to say "I'm hungry", he finally called it quits. Maybe he should start something more simplistic?

"Maybe we should start with just words instead of sentences..." The boy scratched the side of his head, "how about names? How does that sound squirt?"

The baby was silent at first, but after a second or two she finally responded with a clap and a giggle. Marshall smirked at the delay enthusiasm, "Great, now how about Schwabelle? Schwa. Bell."

She said opened her mouth, nonsense escaped her lips that resembled far from the said word. The boy let out a grunt.

"Alright, how about Squirt? Sqa. Ert. SQUUIIIIRRRT."

And again, nothing but nonsense babble. The boy's shoulders slumped at another failed attempt, he looked at the girl with little hope.

"Third time's the charm… How about Marshall? Mar. Shell."

The girl hesitated at first, her lips began to quiver, "Ma…Ma.."

The boy's ear's twitched at this, his eyes widened in surprise at the sign of hope. "That's right, Mar. Shell. MAAR. SHELL."

"Ma…M-mua…" The boy could feel the tension, he found himself nodding at the girl, encouraging her to continue on.

"A huh, go on squirt. You almost got it. Marshall…"

Everything, even time and space, seemed to have slowed. Every moment, every second has the boy at the very edge. Could it be that the girl will finally utter out her first lucid word?

"Mua… Muashrew."

The boy's face fell in a matter of seconds.

"… Mushroom? No no no, Marshall. SHELL. Not shro-"

"Muashrew, muashrew, muashrew!" She felt so enlightened at the word to even notice the dumbstruck look on the teenager's face. The boy let it sunk in and let out a faint chuckle. He didn't want to bother on correcting the ecstatic girl in front of him. It felt… wrong. Despite the mispronunciation of his name, he couldn't help but smile at how much she glowed over one word.

"Oh well, at least it's something."

* * *

It has been over a week since Marshall brought the girl to his home. And over the days, his house became much less quiet. His home would always echo the cries and laughter of the small child, which the boy wasn't really accustomed to hearing since he was so used to silence and sometimes the soft pitter patter of his zombie cat.

The bubbly laughter always seemed to have infected the air and somehow made his home less gloomy and more, more… The boy didn't know how to describe it. But all he knew was that the girl's presence had this affect on his home and himself. And the vampire teen didn't know if he should take it as a good thing or a bad thing. Sure there were times when he would have to play Mister Mom and clean up after the little squirt over every mess she made… but other than that. There was something about her that he just can't really seem to properly detail.

During the day, he would find himself engaged in an activity with her, an activity that he found both foreign yet still very enjoyable in a way. Other than the typical game of hide-and-seek, he added on his list of self discovery is that the human girl would laugh over almost the simplest of things. He found it amusing to see that every absurd facial expression he made with his morphing powers, the girl would burst out laughing to the point where she is near to tears and exhaustion. The vampire found himself a new indulgent game, a game that he formally made up. He calls it… _How long will it take to get the squirt laughing until she pees in her diaper_ game.

As night approaches, the darkness and silence that he knew so well would creep their way back to his home. Every time he settled the young girl down to bed, he would always find himself questioning the girl's existence. Marshall would run down the why's and the how's in his mind... Could it be that somewhere in the forest, there was a pack, or possibly a whole clan of humans that he somehow have overlooked during his weak state? He would have to hurry out and purge his curiosity by visiting the forest sometime soon.

The only question is, what will happen if he did manage to find them? The other humans? What would he do then? Would they ask him to return the her? What will become of the little Squirt? The vampire was afraid to venture any further at that thought. So he ended up staying within the confines of his living room, strumming away at his Bass guitar until sunrise or when he heard that recognizable laughter echo within his home.

* * *

Alright, how was the read? What did you guys think about Fionna's first word? Many of you have been wondering on when I'll be time skipping to where Fionna is older. Well I don't plan on time skipping into years, my plan for this story is to progress gradually. It is to help show how Fionna's infancy will affect certain characters other than Marshall Lee. But I will eventually reach to the point when Fionna gets older (in her canon age;13). So don't you worry, there will be more chapters heading your way~

p.s. I enjoyed reading many of your comments, so please don't stop! I love to hear what you guys have to say!

And another thing, I know there are some readers out there who do not approve of how this story is going. I understand that if you don't like how the story is progressing, then why bother reading it? And also, "to save me from embarrassment?" Come on now, what's to be embarrassed of writing up something that I truly enjoy doing? Sure there might be some misspellings and a mix up on the tenses, but still… I love it and I don't regret it. If you continue on commenting me to end this story, then by all means, go ahead. However, it's not going to stop me from writing.


	5. Chapter 05

Thank you all again for your kind support and love! Without any further ado, I present to you chapter 5! Enjoy, and happy reading!

* * *

**CHAPTER 05**

He nestled comfortably in the air with the axe bass on his lap, the boy looked down at his little companion with a smirk, "Ya ready Squirt-miester?"

The girl all but gave a determined nod and a squeal, which he took as a definite yes. With the informed consent, the vampire bent down to tap at the small device below him. With a click, it woke with a silent rumble, it's lights blinking as the wheels of the cassette tape inside began to whirl.

Marshall got into a ready position and started tapping his fingers on his bass. "1, 5, 7, 3..." The boy's calloused fingers strummed the metallic strings, Marshall sang his newly constructed song, accompanied with the little one's irregular clapping which was supposed to serve as a steady beat. But no matter, the added pizzazz made the song more upbeat and catchy.

The teenager had to admit that his jam sessions have became very enjoyable with the little spunkster around. Thanks to her, he's been spewing out new songs nonstop! Marshall has been experimenting here and there and found a cool approach on making his songs, with a little extra help from the girl of course. One time during Marshall's jamming, she stumbled in during his practice while making these strange noises from her puckered lips. She continued on and formed a certain pattern that somehow fitted well with the tune he was playing on his Axe Bass. From then on, he liked the idea of mixing beat boxing with his music.

Marshall finally ended with a last cord, he quickly reached down and tapped the red button to stop the recording from the little device that settled between him and the girl. He gave a satisfied grin at the completion of the recording, "Not bad, I think this one beats the rest of what we've done!"

The grin on the boy's face was infective, and it immediately got the girl to grin as well, which revealed her little baby chompers. Marshall held out his fist in front of the girl, with that the infant eagerly met the boy's fist with her own with a subtle bump. His hand then headed straight to ruffling the top of the girl's head, a small giggle escaped from her lips at the action

"Good job there Squirt."

Never had the boy ever thought that taking the girl in that night would've resulted into this, he was pretty damn glad to have not left the little one behind in the woods. Despite being stuck home here with the girl, the activities and shenanigans that the two (sometimes three whenever Schwabelle feels like jumping in the fun wagon) made up for not going out during the night for the boy.

Heck he almost forgot about his nightly fun dates, not that it bothered him much. The only reason as to why he would venture out into the night was just so that he could relieve his boredom and compensate all the lost time during the day. But it seems that the boy much rather prefer to staying inside his small home with the little golden fuzz ball.

Over the past several days the vampire teen has experienced so much with the girl, all slightly exhausting for him to bear, but over all thrilling and fun. He grew to enjoy all the little things that they've done, well _almost _everything. Just subtract the diaper changing and everything should be fine.

"How about another one? Ya up for some more Jammin?" It was obvious that the girl didn't want to stop, seeing how her face lit up. The boy gave her a toothy smile and played his instrument that let out another pleasant tune that filled the room. The boy felt so carefree and content with how things are, grateful at how the girl's company has made his home more, well homier and much less boring.

It was sad really, the teen was clouded by such optimism to know that such things can't last for long.

* * *

The girl has been acting strange lately, that Marshall Lee was fully aware of. He noticed how awfully quiet she has been throughout the day. Normally he would hear her occasional _Muashrew_ calls, as well as her detectable bubbly squeals while playing with Schwabelle. But so far, he's been hearing squat diddly. Marshall thought of it as something minor, but the girl's recent behavior changed it.

Marshall didn't know what exactly went wrong, he just gave the infant the usual meal. Right when he gave the squirt a spoonful of Strawberry bits, she upchucked them right on the table. It startled the vampire big time, it was a first he ever saw the girl reject strawberries.

After wiping off the vomit clean off from the little one's face, Marshall propped the girl on the clean side of the kitchen counter and began to inspect the child, "Alright Squirt, what's gotten into ya?" Normally the girl would've responded with at least a giggle, but all that came out from her small lips was silence.

It finally dawned on the boy that something was definitely not right with the girl. The only problem was that he couldn't really specify the issue.

He took in whatever his eyes could detect. The boy noticed how droopy the girl's eyes are. Marshall's hand instinctively patted the top of the girl's head, "Don't tell me that you're still sleepy from that little Jam session now are you?" The girl's sleeping schedule has been altered one too many times, to the point where she would actually _try_ to stay awake the whole night just so she could spend more time playing with Marshall. So it was obvious that the girl has been lacking some descent sleep.

As for her silence, the boy believed for a fact that the girl had lost her voice from all the singing they've done that night. Well he wouldn't consider it singing, more like nonsense jamming and music tom-foolery. But still, they've prolonged their time together that night, so it made since for the girl to be tired from such an activity, to the point where she can't even speak. Marshall knew that feeling well whenever he performed for over 3 hours without any refreshment to quench his dry throat.

But that happened 3 nights ago, so she should've gotten her voice back by now. Upon close observation, Marshall noticed how awfully pale her face is…

"Crap, you're not looking so good."

He brought his face closer to get a better look of her face. Snot was running down her overly pinkish nose, and her eyes look a bit teary. Is she leaking or something? Or possibly broken? The fact Marshall didn't know what was wrong with the girl panicked the boy.

"Shit." Was the only thing he could mutter upon seeing the site before him.

Marshall felt his teeth grind behind his lips, he had absolutely no idea how to treat the girl's current state. Seeing that he was turned to a vampire at a very young stage, he wasn't able to experience or encounter all things human.

His shoulders slumped down further as his fingers brushed through his locks in frustration. "Dammit." Was all that hissed through his teeth, Marshall is left with nothing that will help the girl from her poor shape. Every second that ticked by got Marshall into thinking that the girl is near reaching the end of her life. Suddenly the thought of a lifeless girl entered his mind in one quick flash. Her limp limbs dangling under his hold, stale blue eyes staring far into the distant... The teen internally flinched at the image and cursed at himself for thinking up such morbid thoughts.

He heard a small squeaky sneeze from the girl, which again brought the vampire boy back to reality. How long has it been? Hours? Minutes? Seconds? He didn't know, but time was running short, and the girl needs help fast before… before who knows what will happen to her.

He looked at the clock that hung innocently on the living room wall, it read 6:30 p.m. Which means the sun is still barely out, which meant he has to gear up. But the question is, does that really matter at the moment? The boy searched for his hooded jacket and wore it with haste. He wanted to wear his gloves, but it seems that the girl hid them elsewhere again. So he would have to deal with slight sun burns on his hands, but he could deal with that later. He has time to tend his wounds wherever and whenever, where the child is only limited.

He cradled the girl close to him. He felt her body shiver against the fabric. Seeing that he had already wasted enough time prepping up, he didn't bother to search around for a blanket. So instead, the boy unzipped the upper part of his jacket slightly in order to allow the girl an opening to smoothly slip into his jacket. He kept his arm steady and in place under the girl, still cradling her under his jacket.

He could barely see the girl's pale face, another sneeze was made from the little one. Marshall scrunched up his brows together and whispered silently, "Hang in there kid."

He opened the door with a kick, not caring if he damaged the hinges or not, and made his way to the mouth of the cave. The scenery around him looked dark, seems that his hands will be spared from the sun's gaze for now. From a distance he could hear thunder roaring up from the east, Marshall could tell that he only had so little time until the rain hits.

The girl's fidgeting and squirms can be felt through his jacket, the boy's mind began to race again in pure panic. Where can he find help? There's nobody near around his area that can provide the medical service that the little one needs. He all but cursed at himself for living in such a secluded area. He could ask his ghost pals from the graveyard for aid, but asking help from the dead is a serious taboo and will result into nothing but trouble.

He went down the list of who could help him and which one lived closest to him despite the absence of any sort of relationship Marshall had with any of them. Sadly his list of contacts are short, and all lived far from where he stands, some even far beyond this world and realm. All except one.

The vampire pulled the hood over his head and held the girl closely to his chest. He gave a powerful leap high into the air and flew to the direction of his destination, determination clear in his dark eyes.

* * *

"My Prince! My Prince!" The petite lady stumbled her way inside the large study room. The exhaustion and distress audible in her breathing got the young noble to turn away from his reading with a startled expression.

"What's all the commotion about?" Asked the Prince, the little servant looked up at him with furrowed brows. "H-he made it past th-them! Past the-"

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a loud knock of a door that seemed to echo throughout the castle, followed by some yelling. The prince stood up, making the chair scoot backward and fall to the ground. The boy urgently made his way out of the room and down the hall, with his trusty maid following his tail.

"Who is it?" The noble asked while descending the stairs with quick strides, the maid all but stuttered out her unsure answer. The ear pounding knocking grew louder and louder as the prince neared the entrance of his Kindgom. Many of his Guards were barricading the door, trying their damn best to keep whatever is out there _out_. But the door can't seem to withstand much more of it. The Prince could see the cracks forming at the center, he took note to find himself a much more sturdy material for his door.

Before the Prince could act on the situation, an enormous crack appeared after another knock was delivered to the poor door. The structure crumbled down on top of the guards, burying them until all could no longer be seen under the debris. From there the Prince saw the tall figure, hunched, soaked, and overall terrifying. Shock took hold of the little noble as the intruder walked over the pile of rubbish and staggered his way towards the Prince's direction with jagged breath.

The young noble stood stock still when the stranger suddenly stopped in front of him, his figure looming over his small frame. The Prince was unsure on what to do, he was far beyond too startled to even speak or move. Out of nowhere, a small squeaky sneeze kicked the shock out of his system, the shorter boy blinked questioningly at the figure before him.

"Gesund...heit?"

The stranger jolted a bit, as if he awoke from some unknown trance. With a lift of his head did the Prince get a good glimpse of the stranger in front of him. He looked out of sorts, not to mention pale.

"I-I need yer 'elp."

* * *

Again, sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with college and what not, dealing with crazy classmates and moody teachers here in the Philippines. No big deal. And also I would like to announce that I have finally got to watch the RISE OF THE GUARDIANS! It was just, just... wow! Haha, right right back with the program.

I wasn't as pleased with how this chapter came out. I kinda rushed things here as you can tell. But yeah, will baby Fi be alright? Well I guess we won't know until chapter 5.


	6. Chapter 06

Another Update? Whaaaaat?! Haha it's U week here, meaning that I don't really have any classes. Which meaaaaans I have more time to work on CHANGE! Huzzah! This is to make up for the short previous chapter, enjoy everyone.

* * *

**CHAPTER 06**

"I beg your pardon?"

Marshall didn't even bother on restating his sentence, he simply unzipped his jacket in hopes that showing the little one's state would eliminate the delay on receiving the cooperation he needed. The look on the Prince's face clarified that the situation was being absorbed, upon seeing the girl he couldn't stop the words from escaping his mouth.

"A human…" the little noble hesitantly eyed the teenager before him with a questioning look. How in the world did he manage to get a hold of a human? So many other questions branched out from that, but it seems that now isn't the right time to think of such things. Right now, the girl's health is in need of attention.

"I'll show you to the Hospital ward." He gestured the taller boy to follow him down the right hall. Marshall immediately tailed after the Prince with much haste while zipping up his jacket. They soon found themselves nearing at the front entrance of a small hospital. A surprisingly large Ice-cream figure stepped out from the double doors upon hearing the rushing steps.

"My Prince, what seems to be the trouble?" The noble informed the Doctor of the situation, the walking dessert turned over to Marshall and asked for the little patient. Before doing that, Marshall wrapped the little one with his own jacket before giving her up to the Doctor, afraid that the touch of the Docs coned hands would somehow freeze the girl, seeing that he's a frozen treat and all.. The talking Ice-cream handled the poor girl in his arms with caution, he then asked the two to wait outside until all was done, much to Marshall Lee's dislike. But the vampire can't argue with the medical professional, since the oversized treat is willing to help the boy and all. So he let the girl under the Docs care for now. Once he and the little one disappeared through the double doors, the two boys were left alone. The atmosphere around them somehow thickened in a matter of seconds. The small Prince was the first to speak after he coughed subtly into his fist, "Marshall Lee I presume?"

The teenager eyed the Prince for a moment or two before he gave him a lazy nod, "Yeah, that's me." The vampire's response irked the little boy, seeing that Marshall is older and all, he would at least expect the teenager to respond with some manners and act his age.

"I am Prince Gumball of the Candy Kingdom. And I must say, your sudden arrival to my castle has _surprised_ me greatly. I gentle knock on the door would be much more appreciated." The short noble managed to say with much poise exclusive of showing his slight hostility and annoyance for the tall boy for intruding the property of his home.

The little Gum knew of the Vampire's presence a few days ago as well as his deliquint records. A typical teenager with a shady character no doubt, his appearance gave all that away surely. But such looks mustn't be taken lightly, this has fooled many from his true potential and strength as the Vampire King. But the teenager didn't show any interest in the Candy Kingdom, which got Gumball into believing that the lack of appeal has kept Marshall Lee away from setting foot to the Sugar inhabited territory.

The Candied Prince made sure that he was to not interfere himself with the teenager whatsoever just out of pure courtesy and to maintain that mutual and distant space between the two for the sake of avoiding any trouble. But sadly it seems that trouble has made its way to him.

Marshall let out a tired sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, "About that, it wasn't all my fault ya know."

The Prince couldn't help but show his confusion at his words. "What do you mean by that?"

Marshall casually dusted the fine candy flavored debris from his shoulder, little sparkles descended to the elegant carpet. "I was asking your people for help on delivering a request to meet the Prince, which is you, to help me with something. But they ended up screaming and attacking _me_."

He couldn't help but hiss the last part out while he began ruffling his dark, messy locks that were also covered with sweetened dust. A small curse got out when one spec of crystallized sugar landed on his eye during the cleaning process. With the information given, Gumball quickly cleared out all his negative thoughts of the teenager as the embarrassment settled in his already pink cheeks.

"Now I understand... Seeing that you've made it past the gates, the Guardians must have not seen you as a threat. But it seems that my people have acted out on their fear to notice that you meant no harm. I truly apologize for the misinformation." Gumball bowed his head to further show his pardon.

It bothered Marshall on how formal the boy was acting, and how incredibly pink he was under the light of the candles that hung above them. A boy his age shouldn't act with so much maturity… He really disliked formalities.

"Nah forget about it." The teenager waved a hand at the little one, "Not much damage was made on me or the little kid anyways. I'm just glad that I was able to get to you one way or another. The cooperation was really appreciated so thanks." Seems that the short one's wise old fashioned grammar got the teen into doing it as well, which got the vampire to grunt out unintentionally. To cover his sudden noise, Marshall began rubbing the back of his neck to get rid of the nonexistent ache.

Upon seeing the discomfort, he couldn't help but feel even more guilty, "I would gladly offer you some medical treatment with my doctor as well, but seeing that you're a vampire and all… such action would be useless." He admitted quietly. Marshall rolled his eyes again and reassured the little Prince that it was nothing to worry himself over.

The quiet air from earlier returned, only this time it made things a bit awkward between the two boys to even start up another conversation. Marshall found himself leaning against the wall, with his hands in his pocket and his feet still barely touching the ground. He was not at all bothered by the strange air in the room since he was much too concerned by a certain someone.

Gumball had both of his hands behind him while shifting his whole body weight from the heel of his shoes to his toes in a continuous motion. The earlier questions in regards to the little human bothered himdeeply, he couldn't seem to suppress his unanswered questions any longer. With a forced gulp, he built up the courage to voice out the words that he wanted out from his mind.

"Pardon for my sudden curiosity, but… how exactly did you manage to get your hands on a human?"

The Vampire Teen tensed a bit at the sudden topic, curse the young one's nosiness. But Marshall decided to answer pink boy as truthful as he could allow himself to be, seeing that answering the noble's questions would serve as a reward for his service… and to make up for busting up his door

"I found the little Squirt near the Dark Forest one night. Took her home and looked after her, that's all."

"A girl huh? Intriguing." The little pink gum shot another question, "How long have you kept her under your care?" The vampire teen mentally counted the number of days in his head, "For about a week… or maybe more than that. No more the ten days."

Then came another, "What made you to do that exactly? Taking her in I mean." Marshall fell silent for a second or two before giving the Prince a shrug, "Not sure really. To be honest, I wasn't considering it at first."

Gumball couldn't help but lean in a bit closer, his eagerness on knowing more of the girl becoming even more obvious, "Do you know her age?" Marshall pinched his nose a bit, the little noble was beginning to get on his nerves. "I don't know, probably one or two years? She's old enough to toddle and talk a bit."

"Talk you say? What were the words that she said?" Marshall suppressed his violent nature on bonking the boy on the head to make his blabbering stop. "All she can say is mushroom, nothing fancy. I tried to get her to say other things but it didn't work out."

Expecting another question from the oh so curios Prince, he prepared himself for another hit.

"So strange. I can't seem to understand your relationship with that human…" the honesty and bluntness from the boy got Marshall to look strangely at him. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Gumball let out a sigh, "I know of you Marshall Lee, I've heard many things about you before you settled yourself in this land." He moved his head to the vampire's direction, his round gummafied eyes staring seriously into Marshall's dark orbs. "I am just intrigued to this interest you have over her, you are aware that she is probably the last of all humankind. Such a rare discovery to possibly let go of yes but knowing you, a Vampire King with such character to suddenly take her under wing is just obscure."

The boy rubbed his chin thoughtfully, carefully trying to connect the dots in his pinkishly colored head, while Marshall stood (well more like levitated) in place in hushed uncertainty on whether he should leave the freaky boy or simply stay put for the sake of the girl. He prayed desperately to Glob, wishing that he would somehow interfere in a way to make all the little Gum's questioning to stop. He didn't like being interrogated, especially from someone so nosy.

As if his prayer was answered, the Doctor made his sudden appearance, which got the two to suddenly jump in surprise. "Prince Gumball and Mister Marshall, I finally have the medical result concerning over the little one." Marshall immediately floated his way over to the talking Ice-cream, eager to hear whatever it was about the girl.

"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt?" The teen couldn't hide the concern in his voice, the Doctor shook his head reassuringly to the vampire. "No, not at all. She is only sick tis all." The Prince couldn't help but interject, "How is it that you were able to identify her state Doctor? We know not much of the human body due to the lack of any human resources…"

The Doctor bowed his head before he spoke to the Prince, a custom that he very much grew into, "Her symptoms showed similarities to that of the sick animals that I've attended many times before my Prince. Although the treatments must be given differently. But before I do so, I must first ask some things."

Great, more questions. Marshall rolled his eyes as the doctor glanced down on his clipboard before finally speaking, "Mr. Marshall-" The Vampire King raised his hand to stop the Doc. "Marshall is fine." With that said, the large Ice-cream gave his apologies and continued on with whatever he had left off.

"Right then, Marshall. What have you been feeding her lately?" The teen answered back casually without any falter in his voice, "Strawberries, nothing but that because it's her favorite food. That and she doesn't seem to accept anything else I offer her. She drinks Bug Milk Juice and some water here and there." With a nod from the doctor, he took out a pen from the breast pocket of his white coat and started jotting words down on his clipboard as he spoke. "Mhm, Mist- I mean, Marshall. I've noticed that the little human wasn't being responsive and could barely hold her eyes open. How often or what time does the girl usually sleep?"

"She sleeps at around seven in the afternoon, but her sleeping schedule has been changing recently." The Doc couldn't help but raise a brow, "Is that so?" More scribbles could be heard on the paper. "And also her pale complexion shows her lack of vitamin D, have you been exposing her outside lately? If so, how frequently do you take her out?"

Marshall went tense after hearing that question, he scratched the back of his neck and gave a hesitant response, "I haven't really let her out of my house per say. She stayed indoors ever since I took her in." No response was given from the Health Professional, only the sound of the pen writing against the paper could be heard. After what felt like an eternity, the Doctor gave a quick click on the end of his pen before putting it back in his pocket.

"Well, judging from your answers and her medical results here. The lack of sleep, choice of food, and zero exposure to the sun are what caused her in such a state." Marshall's face didn't seem to give away any expression at the dessert's words. But on the inside, he felt a huge wave of emotions. He was relieved to have finally known what kind of condition the girl was in, shocked at how three seemingly minor things were capable enough to have caused her illness, and overall angry at himself for being so careless and stupid for not knowing what to do at first.

"Doc, will the little Squirt be alright? Will she be cured by this?" In the background, Gumball couldn't stop the questioning look that made its way to his face, "Squirt?.." The Prince silently judged the Vampire's creativity on making names. Pretty damn ironic of him to come up with a name such a "Squirt" out of all the others he could've thought up of, since he is noted for being a creatively talented musician and all.

Other than that, what really got to Gumball off balanced was the teenager's sudden display of concern for the human. Were all the things that he heard about Marshall false? He didn't look like a total psychotic monster at all, but instead a helplessly worried boy who looked like he was about to lose a dear friend of his. Seems that the vampire does have a heart after all

The Doctor once again gave him a reassuring smile, "Of course. A mere cold is nothing out of the ordinary. She will be up and about sooner or later, however… She needs to stay in here for the night, or perhaps a couple days or so. She is still far too weak to be carried back home with you. And also we can provide the needed nutrition she requires at the moment. I hope that's understandable."

Sadly, the teenager couldn't argue with that, all that he had in his kitchen where junk food and red colored fruits that the girl seemed to have already grown sick of. But to leave her here got Marshall Lee rigid. Could he really allow himself to _trust_ them? But what other choice does he have? Who else can he turn to at that exact moment? That's right, no one. The girl needs to get better, and they are the only ones who can offer the medical care she needs.

"Alright… got it." He gave a curt nod to show them his understanding, but the slight pause in his sentence gave way of his hesitancy. The Prince gently tugged at the boy's shirt to get his attention. Marshall turned his face to the Prince and blinked down at him. Gumball all but gave the vampire a comforting smile.

"Don't worry, she will be handled with great care, I assure you that. And besides, if you feel the need to check up on the girl for any reason at all, you may do so anytime you wish." He retracted his hand once he saw the face of the teenager brighten up at the thought, "Really?"

The Prince nodded, "Yes, but when you come to visit her, I expect a more subtle knock on my castle door next time." The comment all but brought a small smirk on Marshall's face, "Dually noted."

Gumball let out a hearty laugh at the teenager's lightened spirit, "Excellent. And don't worry about my guards, I'll let them know that you mean no harm to them and my people. So by the time you come back here, you won't be facing any troubles when entering my Kingdom."

* * *

With another few exchanged words between the Vampire and the Doctor, Marshall saluted his leave to the two candy people as he floated off to the night sky. The Prince waved goodbye to the retreating figure until it disappeared from site. The motion of his waving hand slowed down as the smile on his face fell. He turned his attention over to the Candy beside him, "Doctor, I ask to see the Human patient. If that is alright with you?" How could The Ice-cream possibly say no to the Royal Prince?

The Doctor, after escorting the Prince to the medical ward, soon left to assist his nurses that were tending the injured Candy Guards, Leaving the little Prince alone in the nearly empty ward, for now at the moment. Gumball walked his way down the aisles of beds until he spotted the girl. The Candied Prince stood beside the bed, he wondered as to where the Vampire's jacket as well as the infant's hat had gone, but the concern quickly fleeted when his eyes took in the small human figure that laid before him.

Gumball stared down at the fragile looking girl with silent awe, the absence of the hat revealed her messy golden locks, she appeared freshly cleaned and was dressed in a small fitted pajama that the nurses managed to fish out from their wardrobe for little candy infants. The cute appearance of the girl's peaceful sleeping face could make anyone implode.

His small hands gripped onto the hem of his elegant sleeve. Gumball couldn't believe it, here lies an _actual_ human. Here in the flesh! A human baby that is possibly the last of her kind!

That thought, as well as the site of the girl, was enough to thrill the Prince, "Remarkable… Simply remarkable." Gumball couldn't resist the urge to lean further to get a much better look of the girl's features. A hand rested on the bed to support his upper body before he settled himself down beside the human, careful to not waking the girl. Curiosity made his other hand to move towards the girl's face to tentatively poke her skin. It was plump and a tad bit squishy against his touch. The way the girl's cheeks jiggled got a small laugh to escape from Gumball's lips. But the laughter quickly died down when the image of the so called Vampire King popped up into his mind. He exhaled a sigh before he spoke silently to himself with furrowed brows.

"How very peculiar of you Marshall Lee… Why the sudden interest?" The Pink Prince gently took a hold of a few golden strands between his forefinger and thumb before he began to fiddle with them. The ends of the girl's hair made feathery touches against his gummy hands, leaving a tingly sensation at the touched spots.

"To keep such a discovery to oneself is very questionable indeed."

The girl shifted her head slightly to the side, making her move closer to the Prince. She gave a small noise before she settled herself down when Gumball ceased with his fiddling. The boy retracted his hand back to his side, his eyes never leaving the small human baby.

"Whatever the reason, I sense nothing good to come of it.""

* * *

Tada! So what do you think my readers? What was your impression of Gumball here? To those who are curious on how old Gumball is, he's thirteen years old. A little younger than Marshall (appearance wise of course), just a little something that I've decided to put out there. That and Gumball ages slowly in this story, so yeah…

Anyways, please tell me what you think of the story so far, and maybe even suggest what the next chapter should focus about? Don't be afraid to state your thoughts!


	7. Chapter 07

I apologize for the late update of the 7th chapter, was pretty busy in college. I'm already in my 2nd Semester and boy have I been busting my buns into maintaining a decent grade. But any who, here's the latest chapter of Change! Hope you enjoy the read!

* * *

**CHAPTER 07**

Marshall laid there on his bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling for no absolute reason. The boy just couldn't stop himself from worrying over the girl. Sure he was given reassurance from both the little prince and the doctor, but he just couldn't help it.

The Vampire looked over to his right and saw the strange looking device that the young Gumball offered him. It's a walkie-talkie, well it _was_. It seemed that the prince made some personal modifications on it, considering the number of scratch tapes and looping wires that could be seen. He went on and on about how he managed to increase the range reading of the said device, so despite the great distance they'll still be able to communicate with one another.

Marshall had to admit, the boy sure does have a thing for tinkering, and for annoying the heck out of him. But still, it was really considerate for the Prince. Marshall could always give Gumball a call to see if the little Squirt is fine… But it's only been half an hour since he got to his little mobile home, and the boy was tempted to push the call button many times after his leave from the Candy Kingdom. But he didn't want to appear too much of a worry wart, he most certainly didn't want to ruin his image. Well much more of it anyways.

The teenager actually wanted to stay in the Candy Kingdom and was about to ask the Prince's permission for allowing his stay. But it seemed that his presence has gotten a few of the sugary coated citizens to explode, which was apparently a big no, no from Gumball. So sadly staying isn't an option…

Marshall let out a grunt and brought his hands up to his face to rub his hair in frustration. All this worrying has gotten him all drained, after what has happened the past few hours, Marshall has experienced one too many emotions today and it was just too much for him. So what else could he do but just sit on his bed to "recharge" until he has all but regained stability? But all this sitting has gotten Marshall into thinking and dismaying over the absence of the girl, which worsened his state of mind. He needs something to lighten up his mood, to at least get him off his bed, anything that will help rid the thoughts he's having.

He could always resume with his jam session or simply mess around with Schwabelle, but it wouldn't be the same without the little human around—Well that sure has uplifted the Vampire's spirits.

A digital clock sat innocently beside the strange doo-hicky device on his bed side table, it was past nine in the afternoon… maybe a little fresh night air would do him some good.

* * *

The vampire looked at the piles of rubble that seemed to fill the area below him, he arrived at Ooo's dump site. It was widely known for harboring things that are broken, worn out, or just no longer needed by others. Marshall couldn't really place a reason as to why he came here, but he didn't really question it. Because he was actually glad to be here, this is just what he needs. A little treasure hunting will definitely keep his mind and body busy throughout the night.

That and Marshall Lee was rather curious to see if there are any new things added to the dump after his last visit.

Just the thought of finding something as extraordinary as the skull shaped pick that he found the other time got him all pumped up. He couldn't wait to see what other treasures that lied within the piles of forgotten junk. After all, the boy is a fine collector of anything that piqued his interest.

But to others, they would consider it as hoarding.

The boy eagerly settled himself down until he was just a few inches above the ground. He began to levitate his way down a somewhat clear path and started to browse, looking left and right, quickly glancing at the piles as he floated by. So far he has spotted a botched up television with its screen smashed in, a couple of filthy kitchen utensils, some worn out baseball cards, and a few pieces of metallic parts of what appeared to have come from a ship or a missile… despite his findings, none of them caught Marshall's interest.

The vampire finally set his feet down on the ground, only to have his whole body jolt when an obscure and choppy sound emitted out of nowhere.

Marshall looked down to where the strange noise was heard, he quickly removed his right shoe to reveal a small booklet with a speaker on its side. By the time he lifted his foot, the music became louder. The tune was rather catchy and cheery, but it gradually died in a matter of seconds until the atmosphere fell silent.

The boy curiously picked the object off the ground and began to closely inspect whatever was in his hands.

The cover of the book bared a picture of musical notes and some brightly colored buttons located at the bottom. He eagerly pressed the red one and another tune was emitted, but it quickly fell silent just like before.

His dark eyes then caught the title of the book, the words were a bit faded and discolored. The boy mumbled out the words a loud with some difficulty, "Nur…sery…Ra..Rhyme…sing-a-long…book?"

His fingers couldn't help but flip through the oddly thick pages, Marshall's hungry eyes took in whatever was shown. The boy discovered that every page he flipped to held a different song, accompanied with lyrics that were either too faded or scratched out to even make out. Only a few were lucky enough to have maintained not only the lyrics, but the pictures as well over the harsh years.

Marshall reached to the last page of the book and froze at the site of a smiling sun that had blue eyes and a toothy smile that reminded him of a little mischievous, troublesome human. He looked down to where the lyrics were, it was surprisingly shorter compared to the others he has seen.

Upon close inspection, he noticed that the button bellow the page matched the image of the happy sun. Marshall tentively pressed it and once again heard the book chime back to life. The boy listened attentively to the tune while silently singing the words out as his eyes read across every line.

The tune surprisingly lasted up until the very end, after a long pause of silence, an idea struck the boy. The vampire teen smiled at the sudden thought of giving this to the little human. The boy was certain that the girl would love the gift after a little touch up, considering that the book still looks presentable and not as ruined compared to the junk around him.

"Marshall, is that you?"

A faintly familiar voice brought Marshall to remove his attention from the booklet in his hands, "Yeah, what of it?"

At that, the figure revealed itself to the Teenager. It was a mere spirit, who appeared to be rather displeased, "Dude, where the heck have you been these past few days? Me and the rest of the gang were so bored without you!"

Another one appeared, phasing through the piles of trash as she made her presence known, "Exactly! It's no fun without you around."

The smallest of the three rose from the ground with a pouty expression, "Yeah!"

Marshall eyed each and every one of the ghosts that appeared before him. He almost forgot about the three, having spent most of his time with the little squirt, Marshall has neglected his chums… And when you leave your friends alone for too long, they'll start to get curious, and curiosity is something that Marshall would greatly like to extinguish.

If they were to have visited him earlier in his motor home, they would've discovered the little human. Marshall couldn't help but imagine the ghost's fighting over who will suck her guts out…

Although the human isn't with him at the moment, even the smallest slip of the tongue could still lead to the revelation of the little one. So the best thing for Marshall to do is to play it cool and not give away anything or raise further suspicion behind the real reason behind his absence.

So to put it simply, he has to lie his way out.

Marshall shrugged, "Nothing really." he said rather flatly. The ghosts stared at the vampire with doubt.

The spirit, Wesley, was the first to speak, "C'mon spill it out, tell us what's REALLY going on." The vampire did his best to not roll his eyes while in the presence of his ghostly companions. He really isn't in the mood for answering questions… Especially after he was probed and pestered by a certain Candied Prince.

Marshall once again, gave another shrug, "What can I say, I was just looking for some inspiration… Was working on this killer song, didn't want to end it just there." Short, simple, and straight to the point. That's what Marshall was aiming for. With that, the ghosts didn't press on which pleased the vampire immensely, because they know how serious and dedicated the teenager can be when it comes to constructing his songs.

The tallest one, BeeBee, raised both her eyebrows, "Wow, if it's taking you this long to finish, it must be _really_ good then."

The littlest of the bunch, Georgia, spun around in the air with excitement, "Man I can't _wait_ to hear it!"

Marshall proudly patted himself mentally on the back, impressed that he was able to get away with another interrogation… But that sense of relief soon fleeted when one of his ghostly companions spotted the booklet on his hand. "Heya Marsh, watcha got there?" squeaked Georgia.

The moment he felt the book being tugged out tentively from his hand, Marshall felt a rush pass through his arm. His grip on the book tightened, making the book stay in place in his hand while the little one's hold faltered to a stop. The ghost eyed the boy with a questioning look, but before she could question him about his resistance, the book was gently yanked from her grip.

"Don't. It's kinda fragile, and you might accidentally drop it." Was all that Marshall said as he stuffed the booklet inside his jacket.

Georgia eyed at the ground, embarrassed a bit by the vampire's words. She remembered the last time she was at Marshall's house, the little spirit was intrigued by this very exquisite looking vase that the boy managed to get his hands on from Glob who knows where. Her grip on solid objects were still in the process of mastering, so of course her hold of the vase slipped right through her tubby hands…

After that, it appears that Marshall has grown to be very protective and conservative of his stuff whenever Georgia decides to visit him. At most times, Georgia feels that Marshall all but views her as a clumsy little child who seems to have a knack on breaking things. Ever since that incident, it became difficult for the little one to even make any progress with the Vampire King..

A blush of embarrassment made its way across her pale cheeks, "sorry."

Marshall eyed the floating ghosts at the back, "So what brings y'all here anyways?"

"We were passing by and happened to saw you, we just got back from this one graveyard party," The ghost's looked at one another and smirked before speaking in unison, "You'll never guess what happened!"

The vampire's ears perked with feigned interest, "Go on, I'm listening."

As the two began revealing on whatever happened at the party, they soon talked about the events that occured over the past days or so during Marshall's absence. It has been a while since Marshall had such a conversation… but the teenager couldn't quite bring himself to capture on what was being said, for his mind was much too filled by other things.

* * *

Yeah it isn't much I know… I apologize. It was supposed to be a tad bit longer, but midterm exams kinda got in the way. The next one will be different I assure you all, and also longer.

So what do you all think of it so far? Do you think the Ghosts will eventually know of baby Fi? And to those who know their Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, do you know what kind of song Marshall Lee was singing with the given hints? What's your favorite Nursery Rhyme and why? And also, what do you think will be on the next chapter?

Thank you all for the support, I am looking forward on hearing your thoughts! Hope you all have a wonderful day/evening/night!


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